Meaning & Origins

From an Old French name of Germanic origin, from fred, frid ‘peace’ + rīc ‘power, ruler’. It was adopted by the Normans and introduced into Britain by them, but did not survive long. Modern use in Britain dates from the 17th century, and it became more frequent in the 18th among followers of the Elector of Hanover, who in 1714 became George I of England. It was reinforced by the vogue for Germanic names in Victorian times.